[OMS_MANAGERS] Question on Board Election Voting Practices

[judyg at macnet.com]

We are a 501c3, and not a business association.  Our bylaws are about 
Board Members, one vote per member. Neither a business nor a business 
owner "owns" a seat on the Board. Board Members are voted in, serve a 
term.  They might be voted in for several terms (term limits not in our 
bylaws).  That's how we handle it. We are a tiny group, small town.

Judy Gerrard - Dayton Community Development Association

On 2026-06-09 8:06 am, Rachel O'Rourke wrote:

> Hello Main Street colleagues,
> 
> I'm reaching out to get some perspective on how other Main Street 
> organizations handle voting rights during board elections.
> 
> We recently encountered a situation where an individual stakeholder 
> owns multiple downtown businesses and/or properties within our 
> district. Historically, our organization has not had a formally adopted 
> policy addressing whether that person receives one vote as a 
> stakeholder or multiple votes based on the number of entities they own. 
> Practices have varied over the years.
> 
> For this year's election, we opted to allow one ballot per stakeholder, 
> regardless of how many businesses or properties they own. The rationale 
> was to create a more equitable and consistent process, but it has 
> prompted questions from some members who believe voting rights should 
> be tied to each separate ownership entity.
> 
> I'm curious how your organizations approach this issue:
> 
> *
> 
> Do you allow one vote per person?
> *
> 
> One vote per business or property?
> *
> 
> One vote per legal ownership entity (individual, partnership, 
> corporation, LLC, etc.)?
> *
> 
> Is your process outlined in your bylaws, board policies, or another 
> governing document?
> *
> 
> Have you ever had pushback on this issue, and if so, how did you 
> address it?
> 
> We're planning to review our bylaws and governance policies to provide 
> greater clarity moving forward, and I'd greatly appreciate hearing how 
> others have navigated this situation.
> 
> Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences and any language or 
> policies you're willing to pass along.
> 
> Best,
> 
> Rachel O'Rourke
> Executive Director
> Downtown Bend Business Association
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